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Topic: Bee Removals (Read 1803 times)

Getting so many calls for bees at the moment. I am not really trying to build up a commercial quantity of hives, it's still just a great hobby for me. So while i happy to remove bees for the adventure of it and to catch some bees for my collection, it does actually cost me money most of the time. Combined with lots of time on the phone, calls at 10pm etc i figure i need to at least cover my direct costs.

Indirect cost;- Time. I exchange this for bees. I give 50% of my swarms to other people who dont want/dont have time to collect them.

What does everyone charge for;

1. Remove an easy Swarm from a tree, no ladder, easy access., not too far to travel.2. As above but more complicated, higher up, further away.3. Inside of some kinda of structure...need to do a removal from the structure onsite into a bee box.4. Cut out of some description.

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

Do you get a lot of commitments after you give them the price quotes? I know you have said before that if someone tells you they just want you to do it for free, you should ask them if they want you to mow their yard for them for free too. You were being sarcastic of course. But I am just wondering if you actually get a lot of jobs charging as you have stated?

I advertised on small town radio, craigslist, word of mouth, etc. this past season that I would remove swarms for free and would consider other bee work. I got one bee tree call that I done for free because I desperately wanted to get started beekeeping, (btw, thanks again for your, and everone elses helpful comments on my questions on that one) and one call from a Real Estate agent who didn't wanted to pay a dime for a removal of bees in a ceiling of a house.

I would guess that my acceptance is about 40 percent. With that, before I started slowing down 2 years ago, I was doing from 40 to 75 each year, and that was not my day job, just extra, in evenings and weekends, and when I would take time from work.

« Last Edit: October 30, 2011, 12:06:17 AM by iddee »

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"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

Sorry, can't help you with prices yet, I'm just starting out and I'm curious about that myself. I've caught 2 swarms this year, one was my own and the second was for a prick relative and I didn't charge them anything, although I think I may have caught some nice gentle bees; looking forward to working those ones.

I will be following this thread with interest, hopefully some more local Aussie beeks will weigh in.

1. Remove an easy Swarm from a tree, no ladder, easy access., not too far to travel.2. As above but more complicated, higher up, further away.3. Inside of some kinda of structure...need to do a removal from the structure onsite into a bee box.4. Cut out of some description.

Considering you have more bees than you need you are a good position to charge what you want and walk away from anything you don't want.

I have priced my removals by pricing the trapouts at the same price as a pest guys would charge to poison them.This year if I get any more calls for trapouts or cutouts I will probably charge $300. The thing I emphasise to the owner is that if they get a pest guy to kill them:a. It will cost them $200+b. There will be poisons in their wallc. The honey and pollen will still be in the walls and it will ferment and attract ants, cockroaches, and more bee swarms.

I explain that the trapout causes no damage to the structure, and that the bees will clean the house out of honey and pollen when the job is done.

I explain that the trapout causes no damage to the structure, and that the bees will clean the house out of honey and pollen when the job is done.

ML

I may have a brain fart here but I thought a trapout was when you put a one way entrance on there hive and force them into another hive, how would they clean old hive out? After they take over new hive, remove one way entrance?

My Hourly rate is going to be 50 and hour from our shop to there location then by the hour and time back to shop. Bucket Truck 100.00 Within 30 Miles and 150.00 over 30 miles. 25.00 an hour for help. Will repair or put things back in order by the hour and materials. 25.00 for evaluation and estimate. To many calls for yellow Jackets this year lol. And half up front!!!!!!!!

Considering you have more bees than you need you are a good position to charge what you want and walk away from anything you don't want.

I am not doing any free ones anymore...in fact i have been decling all of the calls for the last week while i get new gear sorted etc.

i am putting up my price...i just dont need anymore bees and the call numbers are becoming huge, i work long hours and spare time is becoming more precious. My pricing is directly related to how nicely people speak to me. I am quite surprised how pushy some people are when they are trying to get you to work for free.